Scientific Name: Canis
lupus dingo (The history of the dingo is not clearly understood
therefore the taxonomy of the species has not been consistent leading
to several species names including Canis lupis dingo and Canis
familiaris dingo. The scientific name Canis lupis dingo has
taken on prominence, though Canis familiaris dingo is still
used as a subspecies classification in some scientific literature.)

Identification: The dingo is a
medium-sized canid with a short, dense coat. The coat is generally
ginger in color but can vary between sandy yellow and ginger-red. All
color types have irregular light cream-colored markings on the throat,
inside the leg, on the under belly and under the tail. On occasion,
dingoes have been seen with black coats and cream-colored points,
similar to Rottweiler markings. Dingoes have a wiry to medium build
with long, thin legs, bushy tails, muscular jaws and square muzzles.
The ears are large and pointed and lack fur lining the insides. The
tail is long and tapered, covered in the slightly bushier hair than the
rest of the body. The eyes are almond-shaped and amber-brown in color.
The larger canines and carnassial teeth differentiate the dingo from
the domestic dog (Canis familiaris familiaris) and dingo-dog hybrids.
Differences in skull bones and the patterns of breeding also
distinguish the dingoes. Pure dingoes have flatter foreheads and
squarer jaw-lines than domestic dogs. Domestic dogs also show no
seasonal pattern of breeding whereas dingoes breed only once a year.
The average dingo has a head and body length of approximately 72-111
cm, a tail length of 21-36 cm, a shoulder height of 40-65 cm and a
weight of 8.6-21.5 kg for males and 8.3-17.0 kg for females. Southeast
Asian dingoes of both sexes are smaller than dingoes found in Australia
with males distinctly larger than females in both regions.

Original Distribution: Southeast
Asia

Current
Distribution: The dingo is found throughout the
continent of Australia, with the exception of Tasmania

Site and Date of Introduction: Early
theories suggested dingoes came to Australia as companions the
Aborigines approximately 50,000 years ago. Recent fossil and
archeological evidence now suggests dingoes arrived in Australia about
3,500 years ago. Due to the origin of dingoes in Southeast Asia, it is
theorized that dingoes were introduced to Australia by Asian seafarers.

Mode(s) of
Introduction: Due to the origin of dingoes in
Southeast Asia, it is theorized that dingoes were introduced to
Australia by Asian seafarers.

Reason(s) Why it has Become Established:The
Australia Aborigines adopted the Dingo as a companion animal as well as
using it to assist with hunting and for warmth on cold nights. During
Australia’s colonization animal husbandry became more commonplace. The
introduction of livestock, such as sheep, became an easy prey for the
dingo. It is thought that the co-operative pack behavior of dingoes
gave them an important competitive advantage over the more solitary
marsupial carnivores, particularly during Australia's frequent droughts
(when game becomes scarce).

Ecological
Role: While the full ecological extent of the
dingoes introduction to the Australian landscape has not been
quantified, dingoes are thought be responsible for the loss of numerous
medium-sized Australian mammals, including species of bandicoots,
macropodids, and rat-kangaroos. They are also thought to be responsible
for several extinctions of different species of marsupial carnivores,
including the Thylacine. Their predator-prey relationship with
livestock throughout Australia led to the creation of the great Dingo
Fence in the 1880s. The 8,500 km Dingo Fence was designed to keep
dingoes out of the southeast part of the continent, which was
considered fertile pastureland, and protect the sheep flocks of
southern Queensland.

Benefit(s):
Some researchers suggest that dingoes actually help
to maintain populations of small Australian mammals especially European
rabbit populations, which have become pests throughout Australia. In
many areas of Southeast Asia, dingoes are kept as pets, living with
humans and guarding their houses in exchange for food and shelter. Many
peoples in Asia will consume the flesh of the dingo as their primary
protein source. In Australia, the general public is banned form owning
dingoes as pets.

Threat(s):
Dingoes’ primary threat is humans. Within the Dingo
Fence boundaries, dingoes are considered vermin with many territories
offering bounties of up to $500 for their hide. Farmers allege that
dingoes seek out the sheep for food, though research has shown that
dingoes only seek out domestic food sources when natural food sources
are scarce. Crocodiles and other canid species, such as jackals and
domestic dogs, also threaten dingoes. Dingoes are territorial animals
and therefore threatened by other dingoes from other packs while dingo
pups are threatened by large birds of prey. Dingoes are also threatened
by interbreeding with domestic dog species, which leads to the creation
of animals that may not be as wary of man and thus more prone to prey
on livestock. In addition, this interbreeding threatens the genetic
purity of the animal.

Control
Level Diagnosis: Medium Priority; The Federal
government of Australia deems the Australian dingo as Native fauna. It
is protected in all National Parks, World Heritage areas, Aboriginal
reserves, and the Australian Capital Territory. Despite the
protections in place, the dingo has been declared a pest throughout
much of its remaining Australian landscape. Without conservation
measures to protect the pure genetic structure of the dingo, a
near-native species of Australia could be lost. It is also a species
that has an emotional connection with the many of the native cultures.
In addition, due to the introduction of other small mammalian species
into the Australian landscape, losing the Dingo could mean a
proliferation of these already invasive species. Finally, the
interbreeding of the dingo with other domestic dogs could lead to an
increase in attacks on livestock.

Control Method:
There needs to be increased education from Australian preservation
societies to protect and educate the public about the dingo. These
protection societies can also utilize genetic testing to foster, breed
and protect purebred dingo lines. Active genetic testing needs be
administered to the dingo populations to determine the level of
hybridization with domestic dogs that has already taken place. While
the Dingo Fence helped to eliminate some of the problems of livestock
eradication, many populations of dingoes reside on the “wrong side” of
the fence. Dingoes have received bad publicity through the highly
publicized disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain.